第32天，我们来到美国中西部的腹地，在一片广袤的玉米地中央，坐落着一所对中国留学生来说最亲切、最著名的公立大学。

它拥有全美乃至全世界最顶尖的计算机和工程学院，同时拥有全美最多的中国留学生（甚至被称为“University of Illinois at China”）。

地理位置： 伊利诺伊州，厄巴纳-香槟双子城 (Urbana-Champaign, IL) —— 距离芝加哥约2.5小时车程
中国留学生昵称： UIUC、香槟、玉米地
学校类型： 公立研究型大学 (CS和工程界的无冕之王)

格兰杰工程图书馆 (Grainger Engineering Library)。这是全美最大的工程图书馆。在考试周，这里彻夜灯火通明。对于无数CS和工科学生来说，这里就是他们的第二个家，甚至比宿舍还亲切。]

学校气质与“人设”

UIUC的气质是**“憨厚的巨人”**。

玉米地的神话： 学校周围真的是一望无际的玉米地。这种与世隔绝的环境造就了两种极端的学生：一种是专心致志搞科研的学术大神，另一种是天天Party的派对动物（UIUC曾是全美著名的Party School）。
中国人的主场： UIUC拥有全美大学中数量最多的中国本科生群体（数千人）。在这里，你几乎没有“出国”的感觉。走在绿街 (Green Street) 上，满耳都是普通话。这种安全感和归属感是独一无二的。

UIUC偏爱什么样的学生？

Grainger工程学院的信徒： UIUC的工程学院（特别是CS）是世界前5的水平，与MIT、斯坦福、伯克利并列。如果你是冲着CS来的，你就是这里的“人上人”。
务实派： 这里不讲究虚头巴脑的精英范儿，讲究的是实打实的技术和代码。

1. 录取：著名的“专业陷阱”

CS Major (计算机科学)：警告！ UIUC的CS专业录取率极低（个位数），难度堪比藤校。千万不要因为它综排在40左右就把它当保底。
- 策略： 以前可以“曲线救国”（先进其他专业再转CS），但现在这条路几乎被堵死了。想学纯CS，必须直录。
CS + X： 这是UIUC的一大发明。你可以申请“CS+统计”、“CS+广告”、“CS+作物科学”等。这些专业的录取难度比纯CS稍低，但依然属于CS系，享受同样的招聘资源。这是中国学生的最佳策略。
General Admission (DGS)： 如果你不申工科，申请文理学院或DGS（不定专业），录取会容易很多（Top 40-50的难度）。

2. “中国圈子”与生活 (图解)

Green Street (绿街)。这是校园的中轴线，也是美食生命线。两旁密密麻麻开满了火锅店、烤串店、奶茶店和中式快餐。]

生活方式：
- 吃在香槟： 毫不夸张地说，香槟拥有美国中西部最好的中餐（密度和质量甚至超过芝加哥市区）。因为中国学生太多，国内甚至有餐饮品牌直接把美国首店开在这里。
- 住：这里的公寓非常新且豪华（很多是中国开发商建的），价格比大城市便宜太多。
- 孤独感？ 不存在的。你在这里能找到比国内还紧密的社交圈。但也正因如此，很容易陷入“中文舒适圈”而练不好英语。

3. 签证与职业前景 (硅谷的后花园)

就业神校： 在硅谷，UIUC的校友数量极其庞大。
- 原因： 这里的毕业生基础极其扎实，代码能力强，且不像某些藤校学生那样“眼高手低”。亚马逊、谷歌、微软每年都会派专车来拉人。
Research Park： 校园内就有巨大的科研园区，雅虎、甚至很多农业科技巨头都在这里有实验室，本科生很容易找到实习。
全员STEM： 几乎所有工科、商科（Gies商学院也很强）、甚至很多“CS+X”的文科方向都是STEM。

4. 安全与环境

安全系数： 4/5 (比较安全)。
现实： 因为是农村，这里没有大城市的复杂犯罪。
- 注意： 虽然Campustown非常安全，但北部的一些老居民区偶尔会有治安事件。只要你不半夜跑到玉米地深处或者偏僻街区，这里非常适合安心读书。

5. 奖学金政策

政策： 公立学校 = 全额自费。
性价比： 虽然不给奖学金，但UIUC的生活费极低（房租便宜），学费在公立名校中属于中等偏上。总体来说，读完四年的开销比在大城市（如NYU、BU）要省下几十万人民币。

给中国申请者的建议 (Verdict)：
如果你是一个理工科大神（尤其是CS），但不想去那些高冷的私立名校卷生卷死；或者你非常看重生活舒适度（中国胃、豪华公寓、同胞多），UIUC是你的天堂。在这里，你可以用相对较低的成本，换取世界顶级的工程教育和就业机会。

30 Days of Top US Universities (Days 31-50)

Day 32: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)

Location: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois (Rural) — Amidst the cornfields, 2.5 hours from Chicago
Chinese Nickname: UIUC, 香槟 (Xiāng Bīn), “The Cornfield”
School Type: Public Research University (The Uncrowned King of CS and Engineering)

Grainger Engineering Library. The largest engineering library in the US. During exam weeks, the lights never go out. For countless CS and Engineering students, this place feels more like home than their dorms.]

The “Vibe” & The Persona

UIUC’s vibe is “The Gentle Giant.”

Cornfield Myth: The campus is literally surrounded by endless cornfields. This isolation creates two types of students: the research gods who focus intensely on work, and the party animals (UIUC was once a famous “Party School”).
Home Away From Home: UIUC has the largest population of Chinese undergraduate students in the US (thousands). Here, you don’t feel like a foreigner. Walking down Green Street, you hear Mandarin everywhere. This sense of Safety and Belonging is unmatched.

What kind of student do they prefer?

Grainger Disciples: The College of Engineering (especially CS) is Top 5 globally, tied with MIT, Stanford, and Berkeley. If you are here for CS, you are the royalty of the campus.
Pragmatists: They don’t care about elitist airs; they care about solid technical skills and coding ability.

1. Admissions: The Famous “Major Trap”

CS Major: Warning! The acceptance rate for pure CS is in the single digits, rivaling Ivies. Do not treat it as a safety school just because the overall ranking is around #40.
CS + X: This is UIUC’s great invention. You can apply for “CS + Statistics,” “CS + Advertising,” “CS + Crop Science,” etc. These are slightly easier to get into than pure CS but are still part of the CS department and enjoy the same career resources. This is the Best Strategy for Chinese applicants.
No Transfers: It is now nearly impossible to transfer into pure CS from another major. You must apply directly.

2. The “Chinese Bubble” & Social Life (Visualized)

Green Street. The axis of the campus and the lifeline of food. It is packed with Hot Pot, Skewers, Bubble Tea, and Chinese fast food.]

Lifestyle:
- Food: No exaggeration, Champaign has the best Chinese food in the Midwest (density and quality might even beat downtown Chicago). Because there are so many Chinese students, some domestic Chinese chains open their first US locations here.
- Housing: Apartments are new and luxurious (many built by Chinese developers), and prices are dirt cheap compared to big cities.
- The Bubble: You can find a social circle tighter than in China. But because of this, it’s easy to get stuck in the “Chinese Comfort Zone” and not improve your English.

3. The Visa & Career Pathway (Silicon Valley’s Backyard)

Job Machine: In Silicon Valley, the UIUC alumni network is massive.
- Why: Grads here have rock-solid fundamentals and excellent coding skills. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft send buses to recruit here every year.
Research Park: There is a massive corporate research park right on campus. Yahoo and many ag-tech giants have labs here, making internships easy to find.
All STEM: Almost all Engineering, Business (Gies College is also strong), and many “CS + X” liberal arts majors are STEM.

4. Safety and Location

Safety Rating: 4/5 (Relatively Safe).
Reality: Being rural means no complex big-city crime.
- Note: While Campustown is safe, some residential areas to the north can have occasional crime. As long as you don’t wander deep into the cornfields or sketchy blocks at 3 AM, it’s a great place to study in peace.

5. Financial Aid

Policy: Public School = Full Pay.
Value: Although there are no scholarships, the cost of living (rent/food) is very low. Total 4-year cost is significantly lower than studying in cities like NYC or Boston.

Verdict for the Chinese Applicant:
If you are a STEM God (especially CS) but want to avoid the cutthroat nature of private elites; or if you value Quality of Life (Chinese food, luxury apartments, community), UIUC is paradise. Here, you get world-class engineering education and job prospects at a relatively lower cost.